Southwest monsoon arrives in Maharashtra, earliest onset in 35 years

The southwest monsoon arrived over Maharashtra on Sunday, said the India Meteorological Department.

This is the earliest onset of the season in the state in 35 years, according to PTI. The southwest monsoon had arrived over Maharashtra in 1990 on May 20, the news agency quoted India Meteorological Department scientist Sushma Nair as saying.

The southwest monsoon season generally begins in June and starts to retreat by September. The India Meteorological Department declares the onset of the season when it hits Kerala. It usually arrives over Maharashtra around June 7 and Mumbai on June 11.

However, the onset of the season in Kerala took place eight days ahead of the usual June 1-mark. This was the earliest date of the monsoon onset over Kerala since 2009, when it arrived on May 24.